Monday, June 17, 2013

Home Sweet Home

Every house where love abides
And friendship is a guest,
Is surely home, and home sweet home
For there the heart can rest.

Henry Van Dyke

I've been rather absent from blogging recently. I've had some scheduled posts and I've popped into a few of your blogs here and there but mostly, I've been rather absent from blogging.

Part of what has been keeping me busy is home renovation. I've lived in my house for twenty-nine years, and very little has been done to keep it looking current. As some of you may know, Frank and I have been on the lookout for the past year, for a home on a lake. I hope to eventually sell my home and so I have been getting numerous things done to put it in a more sellable condition.

Another part of what has been occupying my attention is the actual search for a home. We've scoured online ads, followed up on listings sent to us by real estate agents and on a few occasions, gone north to look at a some places.

A couple of weeks ago we went to see a couple of homes. One of them was on a parcel of land which measures a little over an acre. The lake on which it sits, houses several species of fish and has many nooks, crannies, streams and islands - a fisherman's dream. The shore faces east, across the waters of a bay. The immediate vista is that of uninhabited Crown land and a small, hilly island. Sunrises would likely look quite amazing coming up behind that scene.

Upon the property sits a small but impeccably-maintained house. There are currently three rather small bedrooms, an open concept kitchen, living room and dining room, a large rec room in the basment, an attached garage and decks on both sides of the house. The potential for expansion is great, and a fourth, large bedroom, bathroom and additional storage space would be essential. And doable.

The other side of the house is where you'd find most of the property. There is a long driveway alongside a grassy lawn where you'd find some sheltering trees - mostly mature pines. There is also a small garden for growing vegetables and numerous spots around the house where perennial flowers are growing.

The place is twenty-five minutes north of a town with a hospital, grocery stores, banks, several restaurants, two Tim Hortons and a Canadian Tire (these last two might be lost on most non-Canadians). It sits about fifteen minutes south of a smaller town and just a few minutes from an odd little general store.

There are reportedly daily sightings of deer, and occasional glimpses of fox, bald eagles, wild turkeys and moose on the property itself. It's a place where my camera will be busy clicking, where fishing will be a near-daily event and where, come August, Frank and I will refer to as "Home."

I'm very excited, of course but it's going to be difficult to leave my neighbourhood, dear friends, park, pond and twenty-nine years of living and memories. This move will truly be bittersweet. If the new neighbours are half as wonderful as the amazing people I'll leave behind, Frank and I will be very lucky, indeed. And this move will take us much further away from family and friends. This will be especially difficult for me but we'll have a lovely little oasis for our loved ones to visit.

So, my erratic presence in blogging will persist for a while. The Posts of the Week will probably suffer for a couple of months. We will take possession of our new home on the last of July. I won't disappear completely but I will be pretty busy over the next few weeks as I prepare my home for sale, sell it and move. Yikes!

I'll close by offering a few photos of our view-to-be. I'm not comfy posting images of the interior of the house until it belongs to us. But come August, watch out!

A view of the property from about one third of the way down the driveway.

Looking northeast, you can see a bit of the neighbours property beyond the treeline, and lots of Crown land directly ahead.

Some of the many pines on our front lawn.

The walkway which leads to the front door from the driveway and garage.

What you'd see as you approach our front door from the lawn.

The back door and deck as seen from the shoreline.

The view as seen through the spare bedroom window.

With this vista as enjoyed from the deck, I suspect I'll take in many a sunrise, while sipping on coffee with my camera in hand. I look forward to sharing it all with you.

Thanks for your understanding during this time of transition. More photos of some sort or another coming up in a scheduled post soon.

59 comments:

Oh, this is simply wonderful news!!! I am thrilled for you, and the pictures you will capture and share with me. Just simply fabulous, Hilary. Congratulations and fingers crossed that nothing goes awry with the sale.

Congratulations on finding your dream house/location. It is beautiful. Good luck on the packing, moving, selling your house, etc. I know you had to put a lot of thought into the idea of moving away from friends and further from family. I also know they will enjoy visiting you in your new paradise.

This place looks like a great opportunity. What a cute house on a lake! That deck looks very welcoming; I hope it gets a little breeze to chase away the mosquitoes. It's really lovely and so exciting. Your forthcoming photography will be such fun.

Congratulations Hilary and Frank! What a wonderful location for your home sweet home on a lake :) The mixed feelings you are and will experience getting prepared for the move, and selling your long-lived-in home is understandable. Here's to the excitement of letting go and moving on!

Oh my stars, this is a lovely peace of paradise. I hope you will be very happy in your new surrounds and that the honey do list to get your house ready to sell doesn't do you in.I only have one practical question.....does the house come with a riding lawn mower....cuz great googly moogly that's a lot of grass to keep at bay. Just asking.New House blessings and best wishes Hilary and Frank, Oma Linda

congratulations! it sounds perfect! what a lovely view and it does look like a nice cozy place. i am so happy for you. hoping your soon to be former home is quickly in shape and sold to someone who will love it and fit in well to your neighborhood. wishing you all the best!

Awww...a lovely Garden of Eden for you and Frank..I love it! I love the lake view and I think it will be so fun! You have many "whispering pines" of your own too! Good luck with the sale of your home and congrats on this lucky find!

Oh, Hilary!! I bet you are chomping at the bit to get there....it's gorgeous! And, I'm sure you and Frank will make it even better! Congrats to you both and good luck in selling your house promptly. Here's to new beginnings!

What wonderful news! It looks like a natural paradise! Benny will be in heaven! I can definitely picture you on the bench with a hot cuppa or a glass of wine. Good luck with the sale of your house. Take Care.

OMG! OMG! OMG! I am so happy for you! This place looks just heavenly and, yes, I can picture you having coffee on the deck. What a dream spot!! Congratulations!!!! So excited for you! Can hardly wait for more pics later. Whoohoo!! :):)

Oh Hilary! How wonderful for you and Frank. It looks like a fabulous place to call "home". I'm thrilled for you and look forward to see the photos you capture as the seasons change and your house becomes yours-- moved in, comfy, and inviting.Congratulations!xoxoxo jj

I see photos of sparkling waters in your future. How exciting and bittersweet. Last night we were sitting outside with the neighbors air conditioner blaring the whole time. I'll envy your solitude. And a whole new world of phototunity!

Yay! the hunt is over. I know what you mean about moving. It was very hard emotionally to leave the house in the city that I lived in for 35 years. Family and friends are an hour away now but we love the larger property out in the country and the quiet slow life out here.

This looks perfect for you and Frank. I'm so glad you found it and I can't wait to see what you capture in your camera. Change is always hard, though, isn't it? I actually know what a Canadian Tire is from a post I read a few minutes ago!! So funny!

Oh!!! what exciting news. Congratulations! This does look like a real haven! Hard to say goodbye to all that history in one place, but once it's done, I'm sure there will be no regrets. I wish you courage and stamina with the move. New phase of life awaits. I'm looking forward to all that you will be moved to share here on your blog.Lynne xo

I feel so happy for you and Frank to have found this paradise of a home! Good luck with selling your old home and may you soon enjoy that gorgeous morning view with a good cup of Java from your deck!Best wishes,Merisi

What's It All About?

I love wordplay. Puns and double entendres have always tickled my funnybone. Colourful and whimsical imagery also hold great appeal for me. This blog is about a bit of both.
If you're interested, have a look over here which is where I first posted the sunflower found in The Smitten Image header.